Order issued to exterminate rats across the entire city: Deadly hantavirus detected at another location

The Health Department confirmed that there are no new hantavirus infections in Taipei, while the Civil Affairs Department has strengthened measures to raise awareness about preventing rat infestations and keeping community parks clean and safe, Chiang said.

The first hantavirus case in 2026 in Taipei was recorded in January. The victim was a man in his 70s living in the Daan District.

He died of sepsis complicated by multiple organ failure and pneumonia, eight days after symptoms appeared.

The second case was identified in mid-March in New Taipei City. The man was hospitalized, treated until March 30, and then discharged.

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that primarily infect small mammals, but they can also be transmitted to humans. In severe cases, the virus can cause lung damage, heart failure, and hemorrhagic fever.

Hantavirus drew media attention after at least three people died from the virus on the cruise ship “MV Hondius,” which was traveling from Argentina to the Cape Verde Islands.